The Spiral's Savior
by catluvvergal010
Summary: Snarky, unusual, and often lost in her own thoughts, Jasmine Rivers wasn't exactly happy with her life. Then, a bizarre, fascinating computer game pulls her into an even more bizarre, fascinating world of magic and monsters, and even she's at a loss. Will she ever see home again? Will she realize what's really at stake? And most terrifying of all... Will she survive wizard school?
1. Death and Darkness

Two old men stood in a darkened room strewn with books, not quite looking at each other. Both appeared agitated. One was ancient- and wise-looking, with a long white beard, midnight blue robes and a hat embroidered to look like the night sky, and sparkling, intelligent blue eyes, one of which was covered with a monocle. His face was creased with age and laugh lines. There was no hint of laughter there now.

The other one paced the room in tight circles. He was taller, with braided inky black hair and whiskers, black and gold robes, a pale, gaunt, severe looking face, and dark, dark eyes that glittered with... something indistinguishable. Intellect? Contempt? Malice?

There was something else there as well. Tears.

"Malistaire, my friend," the white-bearded one said kindly. "Please think this through. Sylvia wouldn't-"

The man called Malistaire whirled on him with barely controlled rage. "Don't you DARE tell me what she would want! Would she have wanted you to let her die!? Would she have wanted to leave me all alone!?"

"Not alone," the other replied. "You have me, your students, your brother. You're not alone. Not at all."

"Did any of them lift a finger to help her, Ambrose? Did they?" He spat his name like it was a curse. His voice shook with a sob struggling to escape, but he took a deep, calming breath and forced it down. He refused to let the old man see him cry.

"We did, Malistaire. That's not fair and you know it. We all tried, but it was simply too much, even for her."

"You all gave up so easily, but I never did. You could have let me use the-"

"No." Malistaire was sharply cut off. "Even she explicitly told you not to. And just as well. You of all people know it's not right."

"What's RIGHT!?" Malistaire roared. "YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, OLD MAN!"

Ambrose watched his old colleague nervously. Shadows were curling off his clothes. "Now, let's be rational... Calm down, and-"

"Don't tell me what to do! You have no business ordering me around anymore." Malistaire grabbed a tall black staff leaning against the door frame. The red gem began to glow brightly, fueled by anger, bitterness, and grief. "I don't care what you say. I'm going to bring her back. At any cost."

"Please, my friend- don't do anything rash. Your students depend on you!"

"My students can look after themselves, _Headmaster_," he said scornfully. "But if you do anything to thwart me, I swear that I shall bring you and your precious little school to its knees."

The headmaster reached instinctively for his staff, but Malistaire had had his last word. Already, he was flinging the door open, heading into darkness, into the unknown.


	2. Introducing Me

"Jazzy!"

Ugh. Noah. Why can't little kids be quiet for more than two seconds? I buried my head in my pillow, hoping he'd give up.

"JAAAAZZYYYYYY!"

Little brothers!

Well, there was no possibility of getting back to sleep as long as Noah kept screaming his head off. My body (and my voice) groaning in complaint, I rolled out of bed and grabbed a t-shirt and pair of shorts. Was this how every morning was going to be this summer? It was just like the little weasel to wake me up so early the first day after school was over. And I thought I was finally going to be able to sleep in...

"JAAAAAAAAAAAZZZZZZYYYYYYYYY!" His voice had shot up an octave and at least twenty decibels, reaching earsplitting noise levels.

"I'M COMING!" Number two most annoying thing about Noah: he had no patience whatsoever. Couple that with the number one most annoying thing (the aforementioned inability to shut his mouth), and you've got one cranky sister with a headache.

That would be yours truly.

Meet me: Jasmine Rivers. Thirteen-year-old rising freshman. Problem child, something of a misfit. Being raised by a single mom who probably gets double the headaches I do from her two children. Dissatisfied. Unimpressed. By all outward appearances, the typical moody teenager.

You can see why my brother and I don't get along.

Slipping on my flip-flops, I hurried out the back door. Noah and his friend Darryl were waiting for me.

"Jazzy!" I wished they wouldn't call me that. "You have to play with us!"

"Play by yourself," I grumbled. "I need to get some sleep."

"But the game needs at least three players to be fun!" Darryl whined. "We're the wizards, that's the princess-" he gestured to one of my old baby dolls with a construction paper crown, sitting in a tree- "and you're the evil witch who kidnapped her!"

I wanted to scream. It had been five minutes into the first day of summer break, and I was already in a rotten mood. But in the end, all I do by arguing is prolong my suffering- and my mother's.

Suppressing an irritated sigh, I made my way down the back porch steps, purposely going at a pace of about one step every ten seconds.

"Oh no!" Darryl screamed. "Here comes the wicked witch!"

"Don't worry, princess! We'll save you!" Noah declared. He ran to the tree that held their "princess" and started to climb.

Darryl stepped closer and whispered something to me. "You're supposed to defend the tower! Go fight him!"

Defend it? How was I supposed to defend it?

"Okay, _wizard_," I teased, pulling my brother easily off the tree trunk- sorry, tower. I picked up a fallen branch and waved it around threateningly. "Let's see you try to get past me."

Laughing gleefully, the two eight-year-olds ran at me, making little kid zappy noises.

"Pew! Pew!" Darryl cried.

I pointed my makeshift wand at him. "Take THAT!"

"Aargh!" The mighty and powerful wizard clutched at his chest dramatically and fell on his back like a wooden plank.

"Mwahaha!" I cackled, still brandishing my magic wooden stick. I have to admit- it felt kind of good. "You cannot defeat me, puny children!"

"No!" my brother wailed. "I'll save you, princess!" He made a mad dash for the tree.

Still feeling exhilarated, I threw my head back and laughed. "Haha! Foolish little boy!" I aimed the branch at Noah. "Prepare to meet your doom, wizard!"

Without warning, a chill shot up my spine. My entire body convulsed so badly, I dropped my weapon- which (yay for me!) gave Noah an opening.

With a little boy-equivalent of a battle cry, mighty and powerful wizard number two sprang at me. I stumbled, tried to regain my balance- and failed. We both toppled over, Noah pummeling me with his fists.

"Die, wicked witch! Die!"

"Noah! Noah- ow, stop! I'm dead already!" For a four-foot-six, seventy-two pound kid, he could punch _hard_.

"Victory!" he exclaimed triumphantly, starting to scale the tree-tower. I watched in trepidation. My brother couldn't climb a tree. He could barely climb the ladder at the playground without slipping. Much too hyperactive, too full of energy. Any second, his foot would slide off the trunk, and he'd tumble off and start bawling for his mother.

He didn't, though. Miraculously, he managed to reach the princess doll and snatch her out of the tangle of leaves and twigs. Standing up in a fork formed by two branches, he shouted in delight, "Yes! I WIN!"

"Noah, be careful!" I called up to him. "You're gonna hurt yourself!"

"Silence, witch!" he shot back. "I killed you!"

What was I thinking? My brother wasn't going to be careful. He never listens to me, anyway.

One limb gave way underneath Noah's foot, and his grin faltered. My chest clenched tight with fear. Please, please don't let him fall. He could crack his head open. He could break his neck. He...

He steadied himself. My high-strung, zany little brother actually showing a sense of self-preservation. And me, his sulky older sister, actually showing concern for him. Aww. How sweet.

Unfortunately for him, it didn't take long for my relief to melt into anger.

"NOAH! GET DOWN! NOW!"

Something in my tone must have told him I wasn't messing around. He clambered down in five seconds flat.

"WHAT were you DOING!?" I screeched. "YOU COULD HAVE KILLED YOURSELF!"

Noah stared at his feet, pouting. "You're never any fun."

"Fun!? Is THAT your idea of fun!? Do you have ANY IDEA-?"

"Ahem," a voice behind us said. I turned around to find a wrinkly, bespectacled face watching me disdainfully.

"Oh... Uh, hi, Miss Stringer."

"Don't you 'hi, Miss Stringer' me, girl! Can't a woman get some sleep without having her eardrums blown to pieces? I swear, you children should be kept on a leash and..."

Oh, boy. You have no idea how much I feel your pain, lady.

"Right, sorry," I interrupted. "Won't happen again. Sorry. Noah, Darryl, come ON." I caught both their arms and pulled them inside.

"No fair! Let go!" Darryl was trying to escape my grip, though it wasn't easy. Noah knew that well enough not to waste his precious, albeit abundant, energy.

A voice drifted out the cracked-open door. "Jasmine? Noah?" How refreshing. Someone was calling me by my actual name.

"Mom, can you please control these two?" I was exasperated and, for some inexplicable reason, feeling really worn out. I really needed to make up those three hours of sleep I'd missed.

My mother sighed. "Oh, you children..."

"Mom," Noah jumped in, "Jasmine yelled at me!"

"Because you were being a bratty little kid!" I yelled back at him. "You have no idea how dangerous that was, and you-"

"Jasmine," my mother said wearily, "please. Can you two be civil to each other?"

Noah blinked several times in confusion. "What's 'civil?'" I rolled my eyes.

Mom looked at me and offered a small, tired smile. "We'll talk about this later. For now: Noah, Darryl, let Jasmine get some rest. Go and play by yourselves." Looking deflated, the pair reluctantly exited into the backyard.

Oh, so now they listen.

I breathed a sigh of relief. "Thanks, Mom." This time, she smiled for real.

"You know, you can't let them get to you," she chided. "They're only children. They don't know any better. But you do." She looked pointedly at me.

"They don't drag you out of bed at- what time is it?" I consulted the clock on our oven. "Six in the morning!?" I gave her a pleading look. "Come on, it's summer. And aren't younger kids supposed to need more sleep?"

"Well, yes, but..." She smiled teasingly. "Say what you want about your brother, but at least he goes to bed when he's told."

I held up my hands in mock surrender, grinning. "Okay, okay. Apparently I'm the villain."

"Don't be silly," she said, giving my hand a squeeze. "I guess what I'm trying to say is... You're a young woman, Jasmine."

"Ugh, Mom, please-"

She cut me off. "You are. Whether you like it or not. And young women don't let eight-year-olds cause them so much stress. You have to learn to deal with it. Be a bit more patient with him."

I tilted my head. "Since when have you known me for being patient?"

My mother regarded me with warm brown eyes. "I haven't. But I've learned from being your mother that you're full of surprises."

"You know me too well," I said, pretending to be annoyed.

"I've lived with you for thirteen years. What do you expect?" I shrugged. "Go get the sleep you were complaining about. I'll have breakfast ready soon."

Finally!

I headed back upstairs to the (relative) peace and quiet of my room. It wasn't much- just a small space with a bed, desk, single window, wardrobe, and walls strewn with posters and photos- but it was mine. Which at least meant my brother wasn't allowed in.

A lot of the decorations in my room seemed childish now: scribbly drawings from before my brother was born, tiny pink and purple flower stickers, an old Jonas brothers poster. I used to have a crush on one of them, okay? I really should have taken them down and shoved them deep into the black hole that is my closet long ago, but I never got around to it. So there they hung still while I stared at one picture in particular.

It was the only one I had of him. My father.

This was the one complete family portrait in our house. In it, I was only five years old, clinging to his hand. His free arm was around my mother, who held a newborn baby. My little brother.

Noah and Mom actually looked like mother and son. Both had light brown eyes and hair with mild waves and skin that was tan-ish for Caucasians. I was told that I took after my father, with matte black hair as straight as it comes halfway to my waist, blue eyes, and freckles scattered across my nose. People often were shocked to learn I was related to my two present family members. I resented my father a bit for leaving partly because of this. If he were here, no one would question that we were kin. But instead, he had left mere months after the picture was taken.

On the back of the photo, there was a piece of masking tape with words scrawled across it in what I had been told was his handwriting.

**Merrick, Hannah, Jasmine, and Noah- June 2006**

I had pictured many times what I might say to him if I ever saw him again. Sometimes, it was a happy reunion. Usually, however, it went more like this:

"WHERE do you GET OFF, making me an OUTSIDER in my OWN FAMILY!?"

Unfortunately, either of those scenarios was unlikely. At the moment, this was all I had of my dad... A first name, a dusty photograph tacked to the inside of my closet door, seven handwritten words, a few garbled memories. I didn't even know his surname, so we kids had always used our mom's. I wondered about my mom, too, marrying some guy whose last name she didn't know. And then accepting his leaving so easily, with no argument, while I held three-month-old Noah in my lap and cried for him to "Please stay, please Daddy..." The other memories, at least, were pleasant. My mother had told me it was important. Immensely important.

_Was it, Dad?_ I thought. _Important enough to abandon us? To abandon me?_

He seemed so happy in the photograph and the vague recollections I had. A smile on his face, two strong arms tossing me into the air, his dark, shaggy hair in his eyes, so near identical to mine... What if he were still here? Would he be proud of me now? Would Noah dare annoy me like he did? Would Mom smile more often?

I shook my head to clear the sadness out. This was too vicious a cycle. Why couldn't I just stop? Every time, I'd promise I'd never go down that road again, but each time, I got sucked in, into nostalgia and longing for a father I barely knew to long for.

Letting out a long, shuddery breath, I pulled my fingers off the image of my dad's face, though it physically hurt me to do so. I was supposed to be relaxing. So I crawled under my covers, smothering my head in my pillow as if it could block out the flood of emotion and the pain from eight years ago that refused to fade.


	3. The Search

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, Gamma. It's the only way."

A sad noise came from somewhere in the darkness- a sigh? A whimper? "Very well, then," Gamma said.

A crystal orb the size of a basketball began to glow, illuminating the room and bringing the two men into view. No- not men. One man- Ambrose- and... an owl?

"I wished it wouldn't have to come to this," Ambrose muttered. "That we wouldn't have to resort to such drastic measures. But no one in the Spiral can save us now. That I know."

"Still," Gamma said, "how cruel to snatch someone from their world to save ours. How do you know we'll even find the right one?"

"Surely there is someone," Ambrose said uncertainly, looking into the orb. Planets and stars blurred into focus, each with a faint golden aura surrounding them. Occasionally, a spark would fly from one of the glowing celestial bodies. "Let's see, here... Ah, the spell is working!"

Suddenly, an unusually bright flash lit up a corner of a blue, green, and white sphere. But instead of the others, it didn't dissipate into the vacuum of space. Instead, it grew more and more intense until it almost hurt to look at. The headmaster's eyes widened.

"My, my... I haven't seen such a strong essence since..." Ambrose shook his head slightly as if to push the memory away. "And from earth!" Gamma raised his eyebrows-or the owl counterpart- in surprise. "Yes, a very, very distant realm. A world that does not even believe in magic. Incredible." He shook his head again.

"Whoooo could it be?" Gamma hooted, staring intently at the light.

"Let's take a look." Ambrose waved his hand, and the image zoomed in on the earth until a new view was visible: a young girl with raven hair, holding a wooden branch over her head like a staff at two younger boys. She appeared to be enjoying herself, laughing as she took one of them out.

Gamma hooted in alarm. "They have wands on their planet!?"

"No, no," Ambrose said with a smile. "It's only a stick. But somehow, this girl still managed to channel a small amount of magic through it..."

"Is the boy hurt?" Gamma asked nervously.

"It wasn't enough to do any damage; just a stunning spell." The headmaster watched the girl in wonder. Only she, out of all the people in the scene, had such a vibrant and powerful light around her. "Still, it's amazing that she was able to do anything at all... Such amazing potential."

The girl in the orb pointed the branch at the other boy- who, unlike the fallen one, had a magic aura as well, albeit a far dimmer one than the girl's- and her light pulsed brighter than ever. She laughed again, eyes alight with excitement. Ambrose's eyes widened again, this time in fright.

"Oh, dear, she really is something else. She might actually hurt the child."

"We must do something!" Gamma said. "This is inexcusable abuse of magic!"

"She doesn't even know," Ambrose breathed incredulously. "Neither of them does. They think it's a game." The mist cleared from his expression, and he became uneasy once again. "You're right. We do have to stop this."

The headmaster furrowed his brow in concentration and, with some difficult over the long, long distance, pushed into the girl's mind. Gently, so as not to startle of hurt either one of them, he disrupted her magic flow, and she dropped the branch. The boy jumped on her, knocking her over.

Ambrose sighed in relief. "Well, that was close. Now, how are we to get her here without any sort of disturbance? If only she were from some other world..."

"Maybe this isn't the best idea," Gamma suggested. "We could find someone else who we don't have to trick into coming. We-"

"Only she has the power necessary, Gamma. I'm certain. And with orientation fast approaching and all the havoc Malistaire's been wreaking lately, well... We really can't afford to wait much longer." Ambrose glanced again at the orb. The girl's aura was pulsating again, small tendrils reaching out to steady the boy he'd saved as he climbed a tree. The look of awe returned to the headmaster's face. "It's the only way. She must be the Spiral's savior."


	4. A Whole New World

I woke to a splitting pain in my skull and the smell of bacon and pancakes wafting through my door. Not as rude as my last awakening, at least. Of course, I was almost out of Advil, which meant the rest of my first day of summer wasn't going to be much different from that little episode in the morning.

My hands fumbled around on my nightstand for the bottle and unscrewed the cap. I shook the single pill that remained into my palm and swallowed it, hoping it would work quick. I didn't need any more headaches today.

It was lighter out now. I guessed from that and my growling stomach that I had been asleep for an hour or two. _Thanks, Mom_, I thought, climbing out of bed and making my way downstairs. Just like her to try to make up for earlier with my favorite breakfast.

"Hey, Mom." She was bent over the stove, but turned around and smiled when I came in. "Do you have any Advil?"

"Is that a joke? Or are you serious?" I pointed at my head. "Okay, okay. In the first drawer."

"Thanks," I said, popping another tablet. I didn't usually take more than one at once, but this was really bad. And the medicine from earlier didn't seem to be helping. If anything, the pain was worsening.

"I do remember hearing a lot of shouting out in the backyard earlier, but was it really that bad?" My mother watched me with concern.

"I don't know... Must be the stress from Noah nearly falling out of the tree," I said, rubbing small circles on my temples.

"Maybe now you know how I feel," she said, turning back to her cooking.

"I'm sorry, okay? If this is how you feel all the time, then I promise, I'll never fight with my brother again."

My mom eyed me dubiously.

I shrugged. "Rest of the day?"

She laughed. "Noah! Darryl! Breakfast is ready!"

My brother entered the kitchen, Darryl following closely. Both had dirt and grass stains smeared all over their faces and clothes. Mom sighed.

"What did you do this time?" she asked.

"Jasmine wouldn't play with us, so we played something else," Noah said simply, as though that explained everything.

"And what exactly did you play?" she asked cautiously.

"Darryl was the fire-breathing dragon and I was the knight, but we didn't have fire so we threw dirt at each other." Noah wrinkled his nose. "It didn't work very well."

"Forget just throwing it; you both look like you were rolling around in it." Mom shook her head. "Go clean up first. You can't have breakfast like this."

"But I'm hungry!" Noah protested. He pointed at me. "Make her clean up, too!"

"Why me!?" I said. "I'm not the one who looks like I was just buried alive."

Noah scowled. "If I have to clean up, she should too!"

"Noah," Mom said firmly. "Darryl. Now."

"No fair!" Darryl and my brother glared at me before dragging their feet to the small half bathroom down the hall.

"You see that?" I said to my mother. "How can I not yell at him?"

"I manage not to, you know," she said. "I'm sure you could if you tried."

"I'm not calm and collected like you are," I reminded her.

"Unfortunately," she sighed, stacking my plate with pancakes. My mouth watered.

Soon, I had drenched my food with syrup (even the bacon- don't judge me) and was eating like a starved wolf. I wasn't sure why I was so ravenous...

"Hey, Mom?" She nodded over her food, prompting me to go on. "How long was I asleep?"

"Oh, I'd say around twenty minutes. Why?"

_Twenty_ _minutes?_ But... Why was I this hungry?

"Honey? Are you okay?"

I looked up. "Yeah... I was just wondering. It felt like longer."

My mother wore a bemused expression. Trying to cover up, I took another huge bite of syrup-soaked bacon.

"Never mind," I said nonchalantly. "Hey, this is really good." She beamed, appeased for the moment.

The rest of the morning went as it usually did: Noah and Darryl got more of their food on themselves and the table than in their mouths, I rolled my eyes at them, and my mom gently scolded them like the kind, mild-tempered person she is (and I'm not). Then I locked myself in my room to do… whatever it is that I do when I'm alone. Usually lie motionless on my bed with thoughts swirling around in my head and try to ignore the commotion that's usually going on downstairs.

Remember I mentioned that by all _outward_ appearances, I was the typical moody teenager? Well, that didn't mean I fit in very much. I was telling the truth about who I seemed to be at a glance, but I was also being honest about my misfit-hood. I wasn't one of those uber-popular snobby girls who giggled and whispered amongst themselves all day. I wasn't even on an average popularity level. No, I was one of those in the minority who sat alone at lunch, who no one spoke to, who never tried to speak to them in the first place, and who cared- I was too good to be their friend anyway. In fact, even among the minority, I was a minority.

I didn't care about clothes and "cute" boys like other girls. I wasn't a tomboy. I was a good student, but not grouped as a nerd. I was quiet and rarely raised my hand, but when I did say something, teachers did one of two things: praised me for my insight, or gave me a stern _now-watch-your-tongue-young-lady_ look. But, as I'm sure most kids could tell you, being a teacher's pet didn't exactly make you friends - not that they called me a teacher's pet, either, considering the latter reaction I mentioned. I was always just Jasmine… what was her last name? Rhodes, or Riley, or something like that? No particular group, not even an unpopular one. Not well liked or shunned. Just that girl who always finishes her work early and then stares off into space, thinking who-knows-what.

Welcome to my life. Want to trade? Maybe you'll like it better than I do.

I sat down at my too-small desk which my knees barely fit under and opened up my laptop. There was a new message in my inbox. I clicked on it, and a colorful illustration popped onto the screen along with huge bubble letters.

"Save Wizard City!" it read. "Play for free now!"

Odd- these messages usually went to my spam. But this seemed like a game I'd be interested in. I had always really liked online worlds involving magic for some reason. This one seemed particularly fun; pictures flashed across the screen of people in bright-colored wizard-like clothing, children no older than me battling mythological creatures…

_Worth a try_, I thought, tapping the green "PLAY NOW!" button with my cursor.

An old man with a white beard and a monocle appeared on my monitor. I nearly jumped out of my seat.

Words appeared on a scroll-like text box at the bottom of the screen. According to it, this guy was "Headmaster Ambrose."

"A-ha! The spell is working!" the text read. A voice recording was playing as well. "Look, Gamma! Finally, we have found one!"

"Whoooo?!" another voice said, this one belonging to Gamma. Was he… the owl?

"A young wizard! A student with amazing potential… enough, perhaps, to save Wizard City!"

"Oh really?" Gamma said. "Where?"

"A very, very distant realm… Oh, my! On a world that does not even believe in magic! I wonder what manner of wizard they might become," Ambrose wondered. "Perhaps we should consult the Book of Secrets."

The image zoomed in on a very old-looking book on a pedestal with two candles lighting up the pages.

According to the italicized text, Headmaster Ambrose turned to regard me intently.

"Answer these questions to find out what type of wizard you are…"

A quiz appeared. Oh, so it was one of those games where I'd be sorted into a class. I'd probably end up with something dumb, like leaf magic.

It asked all sorts of questions, like my favorite season (fall), gemstone (citrine, a lesser-known one), how well I cooperated with others (okay when they bothered to try), favorite animal (_definitely_ dragon)… at least it didn't make it painfully obvious which answers would give you which category. I was really curious to see what it gave me.

After a few mouse clicks, I ended up on a screen with a message at the top telling me that I had chosen the school of Balance.

"Balance wizards are wise, clever, thoughtful, and charming. Famous sorcerers include Cleopatra, Margaret Thatcher, and Merlin. Balance wizards are great at adjusting the rules of combat," the screen told me. There was a faint symbol in the background of a red set of scales surrounded by a bronze ring.

Wise, clever, thoughtful… maybe. But _charming?_ Me, who could barely look half of her own family members in the eye?

My mouse hovered over the "TRY AGAIN" button. My finger was itching to click.

But then, I read the description again. I had always admired Cleopatra and Margaret Thatcher, and the stories of Merlin intrigued me. It might be cool to be one of them.

I hesitated. Should I…?

Finally, I moved my mouse to "OK."

"My vision is failing me," said Ambrose. "Are you a boy or a girl?"

Ah, I was creating an avatar now. Smiling, I clicked on the right button and hit next.

"Now that we know what you are, what do you look like?" Ambrose asked.

A number of options came up: hair, hair color, face, and skin. I finally settled on a girl with long, dark hair, blue eyes, and freckles like mine. It wasn't a perfect match- unlike me, she wore a cheerful smile. But there weren't a lot of choices here, so I continued regardless.

"Good. Good," Ambrose encouraged me. "Now, what do you wear?"

The game zoomed out so that I saw a full body view of my character. At the moment, she was in bright green and purple. Yikes. I changed the trim and main color of the hat, robes, and boots to a warm orange and tan.

"All right then!" the headmaster went on. "What is your name?"

I had several possible combinations here. There was a first name and a two-part last name. "Jasmine" was there, but "Rivers" wasn't. The closest they had was "River."

Hey… maybe I could choose a better new name. Like… Starblade? No. Rosegarden? Ick. This was harder than I thought.

Oh, wait a minute- Stormbrand? Nice. I had heard of firebrands. They were often really radical and vehement about their opinions, sometimes to the point of physical violence. But that wasn't me. Stormbrand, on the other hand… edgy, but not too much. Bold-sounding, but not trying too hard. And there was definitely a storm going on in my head most of the time. Those who knew me well (which were very few) knew that I usually had a storm cloud _over_ my head, too. Fitting. And, for some reason, I felt drawn to it.

I clicked "DONE," and I was sent to a new screen which looked like an old-fashioned classroom. My new wizard was standing in the center. I clicked "PLAY."

The screen said, "Please wait… verifying character". A moment later, the words "Entering Game" appeared. But instead of generating terrain, the entire computer went blank.

I blinked once. Twice. My computer screen started flashing and glowing. Was this some sort of weird virus someone had sent me?

The light filled my room, and the world around me was gone.


	5. Just a Dream (I Hope)?

When the light had dimmed and the stars in my vision were gone, I found that I wasn't in my room anymore. Although it did seem familiar. Where had I seen it before…?

Oh, wait. Candles, green brick walls, books scattered everywhere… This was the room I'd just seen when I was setting up my wizard account. But what was I doing here? What had happened? Had I just passed out and started having a bizarre dream?

I let my head fall back against the hard stone floor. Could this day get any worse?

A bearded man leaned over me, blue eyes shining with concern. My reaction wasn't much different from the first time I saw him; I flinched away like I'd seen a ghost.

"I'm sorry, Miss," he said. "I didn't mean to startle you. Are you all right?"

I stared. His voice sounded exactly like the recording in the game. Was I dreaming?

"Uh… Headmaster Ambrose?" He nodded. "Where am I?"

"Why, you're in Wizard City." He smiled. "Remember signing up?"

"But…" I sat up and put my face in my hands. This was _not_ helping with my pounding head. "It was just a game."

"It was no game, young wizard," another voice said. I rotated my head. There was an owl sitting perched on a medieval banner pole.

"Gamma?" I asked. He hooted in response.

"Quite pleased to meet you," he said politely.

"Jasmine, we have some… important business to attend to," Ambrose said. "Please come with me." He held out a hand to help me up.

Slowly shaking my head, I pushed myself to my feet. I'd never had a dream this realistic before. The voices, the smells, the feeling of the candles' heat on my skin were all so vivid. I was even wearing the clothing I'd designed earlier.

"My name is Merle Ambrose," he said as he led me out the door, Gamma following. "I am the headmaster of the Ravenwood School of Magical Arts."

Ravenwood, huh. My imagination was doing a pretty good job. "Okay, but why am _I_ here?"

Ambrose smiled again. "You're our newest student."

I froze. Say _what!?_

_Just a dream,_ I reminded myself, though the words sounded empty to me.

"We saw some amazing things through that crystal ball of mine, you know," Ambrose told me. "You have incredible power. Though you really must be careful with how you use it, especially on earth."

"What do you mean? What did I…? Oh," I said. "You mean with Noah and Darryl?"

"Those two young boys you were waving a stick at?"

"Yeah…"

"Then yes," Ambrose confirmed. "You could have hurt them- or yourself. And you _did_ overexert yourself. It exhausted your magical energy."

So _that's_ why I was so tired and starving before.

Wait a minute. "You two were _spying_ on me?"

The headmaster had the good grace to look embarrassed. "Well, we were searching for someone with the makings of a great wizard, and we found you. I read your magic aura, and it seems the quiz we gave you was right. You _are_ a sorcerer."

My still-throbbing head was spinning. _What… How… Why… Where…_ I couldn't even form a coherent thought, which was pretty unlike me.

"We're expecting great things from you," Ambrose resumed. "But first things, first…"

Before he could tell me what "first things" were, the ground started rumbling. The clear blue sky darkened in a matter of seconds. There was a loud clap of thunder, and the rain started to pour. But this wasn't normal rain. When the drops hit my skin, they evaporated into wisps of smoke. Each one felt like a miniature needle, and each one felt as if it were sapping me of strength.

Okay. _Definitely_ not a dream.

Shielding my eyes, I tilted my face up at the sky to try to figure out what was going on. A dark silhouette appeared at the tower window for a moment, and I gasped.

Gamma hooted nervously. Ambrose had a grim look on his face. Evidently, he'd seen the shadow, too.

"How... odd," Ambrose said. "Come along, young wizard. Let's investigate the matter."

Gamma nodded. "You'd best follow the headmaster. You're safe with him. To the tower!"

"But I-"

They were gone. I suppose I _was_ safer with them than I was outdoors in the needle-rain, so, reluctantly, I entered with them.

"Who's there...? Malistaire!" Ambrose exclaimed.

The man across the room stepped out of the shadows, and I saw his face.

For the sake of not giving everyone nightmares, I'll be brief. The man had hair that was even darker than mine braided down his back, a black mustache and goatee, pale skin, and a tall, thin frame. He was dressed in black and gold robes and held a long wooden staff. And his eyes were, in a word, haunting. They didn't look human. It was like seeing a negative of a photograph: his pupils were milky white while the part of his eye that _should_ have been white was pitch dark.

The guy called Malistaire sneered, which made him look twice as scary. I commanded my legs to stop shaking. It had been my experience that when someone intimidates you, you _never_ show fear.

"_Ambrose,_" he drawled in a sinister-sounding voice. There was scorn in his tone, as if Ambrose's name was the worst possible insult he could think of.

"You are no longer welcome here!" Ambrose said. "Why have you returned?"

"I'm here to resolve our unfinished business," Malistaire said. "Is this your latest student? My henchmen will see to your little friend!"

Malistaire rapped his staff against the floor twice, and two swirling clouds of red dust appeared on either did of him. Soon, two bloodthirsty-looking red dragon-humanoid creatures clad in green robes had materialized. Malistaire nodded at me. Every bone in my body seemed to turn into Jell-O.

Ambrose looked at me gravely, then nodded. "Malistaire won't leave until he gets what he wants. You'll have to duel them."

I gaped at him. "Are you INSANE!? I don't even know what that means!"

"There will be a duel circle, and you'll take turns casting spells at each other," Ambrose explained. "Hurry along! Take this deck of spell cards and deal with those creatures while I tend to Malistaire himself!"

"Don't be so sure of yourself, old man," Malistaire snarled.

"Run up and confront them," Ambrose said. "Be brave! I will guide you!"

"But..." I bit my lip. _Could this day get any worse?_ I remembered asking earlier.

_Hey, you wanted to know,_ my mind said.

_Shut up,_ I thought back.

I took the cards, weighing them in the palm of my hand. Just doing so gave me a warm, tingly sensation. I suddenly didn't feel scared and unsteady anymore. Who did this guy think he was, threatening _me?_ I'd show him what a Stormbrand was made of.

Then I turned back to the dragon-like monsters, and the fear came back.

I took a deep breath and forced my feet to carry me toward them. They advanced toward me.

Inexplicably, the floor lit up. I looked down to see a circle around my feet. The draconians were mercifully far away, standing in two circles of their own. There was a larger ring surrounding all three of us, with four smaller ones on my side, four on theirs, and an empty circular space between us. So this was a duel circle.

The headmaster was watching over my shoulder. "You've drawn these spells from your deck," he coached me. "Quickly! You must choose a spell and use it to attack one of Malistaire's henchmen when your turn comes."

I looked at the cards in my hand. One was red and had a drawing of a cat made of flames. The other was yellow with one of an ugly green thing, apparently called a troll. I took the fire cat and waited.

A large white triangle with a circle at one point sat in the middle of the duel circle. It spun around until the point with the circle was pointed at the first draconian. I noticed for the first time the symbols at each of our feet. For me, it was a sun. For the draconians, it was a bent sword (the one the indicator circle was on) and a key.

I guess they'd get to go first. Probably not a good sign for me.

The draconian growled and drew a blue symbol in the air. It looked vaguely like a snowflake drawn by either a four-year-old or an abstract artist. I only had a second to make that observation before it exploded in a burst of blue light and something appeared in the center of the duel circle: a giant light blue beetle. It made a raspy sound and burrowed under the ground before jumping out and head-butting me. Then it dissipated.

Ever been head-butted by a giant beetle before? Its exoskeleton is about as tough as plate armor at that size, and this one had two sets of horns. Needless to say, I don't recommend it.

The second one drew a reddish-gold symbol that looked like a set of scales. Hey, wasn't that my school symbol?

This symbol, like the last, disappeared in a flash of light, and an enormous scorpion appeared. It hissed at me and swiped at me with its huge pincers before fading like the last one.

Was this what dueling was like? What was I thinking when I signed up for this?

Finally, the triangle pointed at me. I looked at my card and panicked, realizing something: I didn't know what the symbol for fire was.

At that moment, something in my mind snapped. I realized what I was supposed to do.

I pointed at the first draconian, the card (somehow) floating a few inches from my finger. My hand moved seemingly of its own volition to trace a strange character in the air, like the flame of a candlewick. A fire cat leapt at the draconian and spit a shower of red sparks at it.

"Oh my! You're hurt!" Ambrose said. Yeah, no kidding. "You'll need to pay attention to your current health." He tossed me a small crystal ball filled with red liquid, which drained one-fourth of the way as soon as I caught it. "This red crystal ball shows your health. If you run out of health during a wizard duel, you'll be defeated. And this blue crystal ball-" he tossed me an even smaller one filled with blue- "shows how much mana you have left. If you run out of mana, you won't be able to cast any more spells. You'll be at the mercy-"

"Headmaster?" I interrupted. "Sorry, but why so distracted? We're under attack here!"

Ambrose blinked. "Oh my! Call me a fool... I had all but forgotten!"

I cringed. _This_ guy was head of a school? Worse still, he was the one teaching me how to fight. If anything, I was at _his_ mercy.

"Where were we then?" Ambrose said. "Right! Attack his henchmen again!"

After being slashed at by another scorpion and a skeleton pirate (I don't even know), I was able to cast the nasty-looking troll at the second draconian. But I could tell we were fighting a losing battle. It was two versus one, and I was inexperienced (as in I had never done this before). I didn't have to look at the red crystal ball to know that I was getting seriously drained.

Apparently, Malistaire could tell, too.

"Aha! You doddering fool!" he gloated. "Your student is no match for my forces!"

Ambrose looked worried. "Oh, no... You're in trouble. Quick, use the unicorn spell- it will replenish your health."

I scanned the cards in my hand and found the one he was talking about. Hopefully I could last through the next round of attacks.

The draconians seemed to be trying harder to finish me off. One of them was able to cast an electrified shark at me. But the other got flustered in his excitement, and his spell fizzled out. Lucky for me, since my red health orb was almost empty.

I had survived long enough to restore my health- whew- and the unicorn seemed happy to help. Immediately, I felt revitalized.

"Foolish creatures!" Malistaire barked at the draconian. "You've let the young whelp heal! Defeat the whelp or you'll suffer for it!"

Whelp? What was a whelp?

One draconian let out a noise that may have been a whimper- it was impossible to tell since I'd never seen these things before. I never imagined I'd feel sorry for these things. It wasn't their fault their master was such a jerkwad.

"Here, young wizard," Ambrose said. "Take some more pips. They power your spells. The more you have, the stronger the spells you can cast." I looked at the circle surrounding my feet. Three little glowing spheres sat along the edge of it, half-buried in the ground.

"What!? You're interfering with the duel!" Malistaire cried in outrage.

"As are you, Malistaire," Ambrose countered. "You know as well as I that they shouldn't have been able to cast those spells with just one pip each round."

The way we were talking about this was almost like using video game terminology. It would have been laughable had the danger not been so real.

The first draconian passed, perhaps saving his pips, though I didn't see why that was necessary since the others were evidently able to give us more at any moment. The second, however, cast a spell I hadn't seen yet. It didn't do any damage to me, but instead caused a spiky disk with a sword design on it to appear spinning over my head.

"What did that do?" I asked the headmaster.

"It reduces the power of your own spell," he said, a note of disappointment in his words. "So the next spell you cast, well..."

I drew a leaf-like symbol in the air, and a tree man which I think was called a treant appeared. As it attacked, the spiked disk shattered, and I felt something suppress my magic flow. That second draconian was safe for now.

"At last, you fools earn your keep!" Malistaire said. "Now, finish the child!"

"Cast the balanceblade spell on yourself," Ambrose instructed. "It will increase your next spell's power."

The next two attacks were noticeably more damaging: a bird made of fire and an armored centaur. I guess the draconians were pretty eager to follow Malistaire's orders. Honestly, I couldn't blame them. What was this guy's deal, threatening some random thirteen-year-old stranger?

I drew a scale symbol in front of me. This was the easiest one to cast so far. Another disk that was nearly identical to the first appeared, sans spikes.

"This one learns fast, Malistaire," Ambrose said proudly. "Two can play at that game!"

I grinned despite my situation. Considering I was quite possibly fighting for my life, I was actually really enjoying myself. Magic surged through my veins like an adrenaline rush. I felt like... how I'd felt playing wizards with Noah and Darryl.

"I've got it!" Ambrose said, pointing at a red spell card in my hand. "Use the meteor strike spell. It will strike both of the henchmen. And here are the pips to cast it with." He gestured at my feet, where there were four white balls of light. "With the balanceblade spell you've already cast, the meteor strike should finish them off!"

The henchmen didn't seem very happy about that, because their next two attacks nearly finished _me_ off. (Ninja pigs? Where did they get _those_ from?)

But with the little mana I had left, I was able to trace one last fire symbol in the air and summon a brilliant rain of shooting stars. The balanceblade disk shattered, the magic stored inside it lending extra strength to the spell. Both draconians fell, and the duel circle vanished.

"Excellent work, young wizard!" Ambrose congratulated me. "Now let me see to Malistaire. I'll show him... threatening a new student- before orientation, no less!"

"Another time, old man," Malistaire said disdainfully. "I have what I came for."

He fixed his steely gaze on me, and I took an involuntary step backward.

"And now, I'll take my leave of this wretched place." He raised his staff and disappeared in a puff of black sparks.

"He's gone, and none too soon. What sinister goal brought him here?" Ambrose wondered. "Hmm..."

_That's what I'd like to know,_ I thought.

Ambrose gave me a quick once-over. "Oh dear, you look a little bit worse for wear. Here, let me restore you to your full health and mana."

The headmaster raised his staff. The round crystal at the tip began to glow, and I felt the flow of magic in my veins quicken again. Finally, my headache was gone.

"Er, thanks," I said.

"No problem," Ambrose said. "Oh, on the bright side, congratulations! Defeating Malistaire's henchmen has earned you some experience. The experience bar will help you track your progress."

"Experience bar?" Was this guy serious? This really was like a video game.

"Oh, that's right," Ambrose said. "Look in that pouch you have on your belt."

I inspected my uniform, seeing that there was indeed a pouch tied around my waist. Inside, there was a purple leather-bound journal the size of a small composition notebook with a spiral embroidered on the cover, a brown leather-bound book slightly smaller than the first, two soft leather cases that looked very similar to the one that had held the spell deck, a simple compass, and a thin clear tube the size of a pencil. It was filled three-quarters of the way with green liquid and scored with nine bronze rings, like some kind of thermometer.

"When the bar fills up, you'll gain a level indicated here-" he pointed to the end of the cylinder where a golden number one was written "-and be able to learn new spells, indicated _there._" He pointed at the other end, which was blank. "It will show up later on," he explained. "That is your spellbook, and that is your wand," he said, motioning at first the journal and then a carved stick the length of my forearm attached to a holder on my belt. "No young wizard should ever be without them.

"You'll receive more information and supplies at orientation. Any questions you have will be answered then."

What? I couldn't wait until orientation. I was just pulled off of earth and into some wizard planet through my computer screen and had to battle what I had thought were mythological creatures ordered to "see to" me by some homicidal maniac with a flair for dramatic exits. I had a million questions.

"I should say, young wizard, that I was quite impressed with your courage," Ambrose said, a twinkle in his eye. "There is but little doubt that a great destiny awaits you. Who knows? Maybe you will fill my shoes and become headmaster someday."

Okay, that was too much. "What do you mean? I can't stay here! Why do you need _me?_"

Ambrose and Gamma looked at each other. "All in good time, young wizard," the headmaster said. I was infuriated.

"You can't bring me here with next to no warning, nearly get me killed, and just get away with that!" I fumed. "And STOP calling me that! I'm not a wizard!"

Ambrose shook his head. "I know this is a lot to take in all at once, and I'm sorry you've had such a rough start. But desperate times call for desperate measures, and it seems only you can save us."

"From what? From that Malistaire guy?"

Ambrose gave me a serious look. "You must be very tired. I promise I will explain everything later, but for now, you need to rest. Gamma can show you to your dorm room. I have a mountain of duties to attend to, including readying your enrollment."

"I don't WANT to be enrolled!" My voice cracked on the last word. "I need to go home NOW!"

He sighed, looking genuinely sympathetic but just as determined. "I wish that could be arranged now, but we don't have time to argue. I have to get back to my office. I'll summon you when things are presentable and after you've gotten a good night's sleep. Now, where did I put those forms…?"

Before I could protest, he teleported away in a spray of blue and gold. I _really_ wished these people would quit doing that.

Gamma cleared his throat. "He's right, you know. Come, follow me." He fluttered his wings, causing the door to open, and flew out. Glaring, I went with him. Adults who refused to take me seriously because I was a kid, being ignored and sent off while _they_ made all the _important_ decisions... It looked like this wasn't going to be much different from how things were on earth.

_Remember, kids,_ I thought sarcastically. _Stay in school, eat your vegetables, and don't sign up for suspicious video games. You might get impaled by oversized magical bugs._

Finally, we reached the dorm rooms. Gamma handed me a copper key with a balance symbol and a number 7 engraved on the head.

"Once you're here, the key will guide you to the correct room," he said. I muttered a thank you and followed the tug in my hand down the hall.

Was high school going to be like this? Would I ever even get to go? Maybe I was catching a lucky break. Maybe high school would be even worse than being attacked by a creepy-eyed wizard's monster henchmen- and knowing the horror stories I'd heard, that was very possible.

With a sigh, I turned the key in the hole and decided the two kidnappers were right about me needing to get some sleep. My headache was back with a vengeance.

* * *

_Hi everyone! I hope you're enjoying this so far. I sure am. Any constructive feedback you have, please let me know in the reviews._

_In response to the ones I have gotten from those of you who don't have accounts (if you have one, I can PM you):_

_Thomas Hillier: Thanks! I'm glad you like it! :)_

_Stargirl45: Thanks for reading and for the advice! :) I made Jasmine this age because her going into high school soon parallels the new beginnings of entering a new world, and because part of the frustration of her life (as shown above) is not being taken seriously. Don't worry; she'll get older as the series progresses. I tried Wattpad, but for some reason all of the usernames I try are taken...? Any other good sites?_

_kay: Thanks so much! I hope you like this new chapter! :)_

_I'll try to upload a new chapter once or twice a week. Let me know what you guys think!_


	6. Schemes and Syllabi

Malistaire paced the length of the torch-lit room several times, mind racing. The earthling brat Ambrose and Gamma had brought to Ravenwood was much stronger than he had expected. In her first ever duel, she had been able to take down two draconians without using a wand. Even if Ambrose has been spoon-feeding her instructions, it was an admirable feat.

Of course, Malistaire could have destroyed the girl the moment he saw just how powerful she was. He could have summoned more dangerous creatures that she, with her lack of experience, wouldn't have stood a chance against. Someone with that kind of ability under Ambrose's care could be a serious threat to his plan. But he hadn't. Something had held him back: curiosity, perhaps, to see how this would play out. Yes, that must have been it. He would stay back and watch for now, unless the girl really became more than a small nuisance.

He would make sure that Ambrose and his new pet would have their hands full, though, lest they try to interfere with his work. He'd make certain their quaint little city was so overrun with beasts and terrors, their only concern would be to stay alive another day. Stopping him would be the last thing on their minds.

The former professor allowed a small smile to touch his lips. They wouldn't know what had hit them.

* * *

"The poor girl doesn't know what hit her," headmaster Ambrose said sadly. His heart was heavy with what he had just done, but what other choice had he had? He was responsible for his school and his city. And the stakes were much higher than just that; the Spiral itself was in mortal peril.

"I hate to say I told you so," Gamma replied.

"You did, though. And you were right." Ambrose shook his head. "We have to convince her to stay. Our forces in Wizard City aren't anywhere near enough, and Malistaire plans to exploit that."

"What if he exploits this girl, too?" Gamma asked. "She may have talent, but she's unskilled and knows next to nothing about magic. She could easily be lost in the war, or even turned to his side."

"No, I don't think she'll be joining him anytime soon," Ambrose said with a slight smile. "She's probably not too fond of him after that incident in the tower."

"He could always use fear to get to her," Gamma argued.

Ambrose's brow creased anxiously. "We'll teach her how to take care of herself," he decided. "And she's a quick learner. You saw her in the duel. She'll be fine."

"Definitely a bit traumatized, though," Gamma murmured.

The headmaster looked down at his tightly clasped hands. The guilt was weighing heavily on him, but he reminded himself that it was necessary. They would do everything they could to keep her as safe and comfortable as possible and help her adjust slowly, so as not to scare her away. That would have to be enough.

Still feeling unsure, he turned back to his massive heap of paperwork, only to be startled by someone pounding at his door. Could it... It couldn't be...

Ambrose reached out with his magic energy and relaxed. The aura he read outside was the girl's. But what was she doing up?

The knocking became louder, more insistent. He pushed himself wearily to his feet and headed to the door to see what was going on. It _was_ the young wizard on the porch like he had predicted. Something else, though, caught him off guard.

She was in tears.


	7. Q&A& New Introductions

_A tall, dark-haired man, a smaller brunette woman, and a toddler with shoulder-length black hair and an infant in her lap are in their living room. The two adults are having a serious whispered discussion, while the little girl watches nervously._

"_Are you sure about this?" the woman asks._

_The man nods dismally. "Yes. I had hoped I could stay longer for the children's sake, but… Perhaps it's better this way. They won't know to miss me, at least."_

"_But _I_ will," the woman says with a joyless smile. The man holds her close and speaks gently into her hair._

"_I know," he says. "I'm sorry. I was foolish. Terribly foolish."_

_The man sighs, kisses her forehead, and pulls on his coat. The child knows what it means._

"_No, Daddy!" She reaches out her short little arms and cries. "Please stay, please Daddy…"_

_The man looks down at his feet so his daughter won't see the threat of tears in his eyes. This is the most difficult thing he's ever had to do- which was quite a statement. But he has to._

_"Jasmine, sweetheart, I love you." He kisses the top of her head and hugs her one last time. "Be good." What else can he say to a five-year-old watching her father desert her?_

_The toddler- Jasmine- wraps herself tightly around his neck, hoping against hope that if she holds on tight enough, he won't go. The father manages to extricate himself from her grasp with some difficulty, not because she's too strong for him, but because of the pain of knowing what he's doing to his little girl, a very piece of his soul._

_And what about the other pieces, his wife and son? To think that he'd never see the tiny boy in his sister's arms take his first steps, never see them grow up, that they'd have to be raised without a father, that their mother would have to do the job all by herself..._

_He takes a deep breath. No, now is not the time for self-doubt. He has no time to grieve. This is important. Immensely important._

Is it? Enough to abandon your family?

_The man ruffles the girl's hair, smiles shakily at his wife, and walks through the door. His daughter wails and pushes her brother off, tripping over herself to chase after him..._

_But when she scrambles out the door, no one is there. He is gone._

* * *

I pressed my face into my pillow to muffle my sobs. I hadn't had that dream in years... and I'd never had one from my father's perspective. The absolute, utter anguish... It was like feeling my own through a magnifying glass.

The pillow wasn't my own. It was the one in the stupid, dingy dorm room in the stupid wizard in world I was in, extinguishing the weak spark of hope I'd had that maybe, I'd wake up in my own room to the sounds of Noah and Darryl breaking something. Even that would have been welcome now. This was real. Too real.

I cried even harder.

The dream I'd just had amplified my homesickness several times over, which must have been pretty severe if I was longing to be jolted awake by two frenzied not-quite-fourth-graders. I missed my dad. I missed my mother. I even missed Noah, the little twerp.

Wait... Homesickness... Noah...

Mom! How did I not think of this earlier!? And I was supposed to be wise, clever, and thoughtful!? She must have been worried out of her mind! What was wrong with me!?

That was it; I couldn't stay here, no matter what the crazy old man said. I needed to get back to earth.

I sprang out of the bed and yanked hard on the door. It wouldn't budge. Someone must have locked it from the outside with magic to keep me from running away.

Indignation and desperation fueled my resolve. "Come on, you stupid thing," I shouted. "_Open!_"

The lock clicked. I gazed down at the knob, scarcely able to believe it had actually worked. Cautiously, in case there was someone guarding the place, I pushed the door open and softly closed if behind me.

A disturbing notion struck me. What if there was something a little more unpleasant than a guard out here? Like another one of those draconians?

Great. Now I was feeling paranoid. Just to be safe, I drew my wand and my spell deck, though I wasn't sure they would work outside of a duel. Maybe the hypothetical monsters wouldn't be as civilized as the other ones. They could just bite my head off or spear me through the heart for an easy kill.

I smacked the side of my head as if it would stop the bad thoughts. _Focus._

I had made it to the tunnel out of Ravenwood before remembering that I didn't know where the headmaster's office was. Another idea came up: the compass. It hadn't had markings like normal compasses. What if it could help?

I reached into my pack and pulled it out. Without me even having to type or say something, the needle spun away from me. The words **Merle Ambrose** appeared on the face, along with the number **202**. I took an experimental step, and it went down to a **201**. A mind-reading compass which let you know how many steps you had to take to get to your destination? Weirdly enough, that was the least strange thing I'd seen here so far.

I followed the compass needle, remembering to glance up every so often to search for anything that looked dangerous. Luckily, I made it without getting pulled into another fight. Unluckily, Ambrose's door was locked, too.

I was losing the little patience I had to begin with. Abandoning all thought of caution or self-preservation, I started banging on the door like it owed me money.

_Come on, Ambrose._

The door swung open, and he stepped out, looking rather taken aback by my tear-streaked face. I realized then that I could use it to my advantage.

"Headmaster, I need to go home," I said, trying to communicate a sense of urgency. Given the circumstances, it wasn't difficult.

"Jasmine, what are you doing up at this hour?"

I shook my head vigorously, impatience creeping into my voice. "This is important. I can't stay. My family has no idea where I am."

From the expression on his face, it looked like this was news to the headmaster.

"You never even thought of that, did you?" I said accusingly.

He sighed. "You're not going to go back to your dorm until you get some answers, are you?"

I glowered wordlessly in response.

Ambrose sighed again. "Very well. It's understandable. Come in, please." He pushed the door open further to allow me entry.

The headmaster's office was even messier than the tower I'd shown up in, and even more shockingly, (gasp!) my room. Piles of books that were almost as tall as I was surrounded his desk, the surface of which was almost entirely hidden by more books and forms.

"Please excuse the mess," he said apologetically. "I've had a lot of work to do lately. Have a seat."

I obediently sat down on the nearest chair. "Okay, now explain. What does Malistaire want? What's he doing?"

"Malistaire... He was the professor of death magic at Ravenwood. But he left after..." Ambrose paused, looking like he was considering how much he should tell me. "Well, it's a long story. But he became bitter and angry, not at all the Malistaire we at Ravenwood knew and loved. He's planning something that could tear the Spiral apart. All the monsters are either byproducts of his work or distractions to keep up stuck here fending them off."

"So there are more monsters," I said. My heart sank. Did this mean more dueling?

Ambrose nodded. "You won't find them on campus or in the city proper, but the major streets are crawling with them. Only a select few students are allowed to be out there."

I let this sink in. "Okay... What does he want with me?"

"Malistaire knew somehow that we were looking for someone to help us. Though it appears he was there for reconnaissance, not for blood. He realizes now just how capable you are of foiling his plans."

"Then why did you let me duel?" I asked. "Now he has information!"

Ambrose smiled reassuringly at me. "I know it seems like a silly mistake on my part, but it was better for you to duel them properly. Less opportunity for Malistaire to try anything sneaky. We could only interfere in the battle so much." His smile disappeared. "And besides, I told you that he wouldn't leave until he got what he wanted. He would have found a way."

I shuddered. "Do you think he'll come back?"

"It's very unlikely," said Ambrose. "In fact, I'm surprised he came at all. He usually prefers to watch from a distance."

"That's a relief," I muttered. I didn't need to see those eyes again anytime soon. "You said… I had incredible power?"

He nodded. "Yes, I saw your magic aura through my crystal ball. Even without training and not knowing of magic all your life, you were able to subconsciously tap into your mana."

I frowned. "What did I do? Noah and Darryl and I were just playing."

"That's what you think." He was distinctly giving off the impression that he knew something I didn't, which I positively _loathed_. "Remember when... Darryl, was it? When Darryl fell after you pointed the stick at him? That was a small stunning spell you cast."

Now it was my turn to be stunned- and a little bit horrified. "I used magic on him!? For real?"

"Don't worry, it didn't do him any harm," said Ambrose reassuringly. "You weren't even using a real wand. You managed to help Noah as well, when he was climbing the tree and nearly fell."

That did seem like a more plausible explanation for him making it up and down in one piece.

"Is there anything else you'd like to ask me?" Ambrose inquired.

Of course there was. I had had a million before, and I'd gotten, what, four out of the way? Only nine hundred ninety-nine thousand nine hundred ninety-six to go.

I knew, though, that we didn't have time for 999,996 questions. I'd get the rest of the details later. For now, there was just one more important thing I needed.

"What about my family?"

"Ah, yes," he said. "I wouldn't worry about them."

Excuse me?

"I mean, I'm sure they're fine," Ambrose said hastily. There it was again- he knew something, and this time, he was deliberately keeping it from me. "I'll use the crystal ball to keep an eye on them, and if I see any trouble, I can send them a message telling them where you are. Hopefully, it won't come to that. I wouldn't want to scare them."

"Yeah, I think it's too late for that," I said sarcastically.

"I _am_ sorry, Jasmine," Ambrose said empathetically. "I know it must be disorienting, to say the least. I wish I could have given you a better idea of what you were getting into-"

"What _I_ was getting into?"

"Sorry," he said sheepishly. "What _we_ were getting you into. But it's been a long time since we've had to summon someone from earth. And back then, more people still believed in magic, so we could simply send them a message and explain the situation. This was not so simple."

I nodded, my face stony and blank. I wasn't going to get away easily. Perhaps it would help if I acted cooperative for now.

"Thank you for understanding. You've been remarkably patient." Yep, I was right- he was trying to get past my defenses by flattering me. I was never very patient, and the past day had been no exception. "You probably have some more questions, and I'll answer them in due time. But for now, you need to rest so you'll have the energy you need tomorrow for orientation, and _I_ need to finish up this paperwork. I trust you can find your way back to your dorm?"

I nodded and held up my compass. "I used this."

"Ah, you've already figured out how to use it. Very nice." He gave me a warm, friendly smile. "I thought you were a smart one. Good night, Jasmine."

"'Night." I stood up and made an effort to walk casually out the door. Ambrose was mumbling something behind me about books and papers to tidy up. But I wasn't going back to my dorm just yet, for fear of having the same dream again.

I got a good distance away and found a nice, tall tree to climb (which I was much better at than my brother) and made myself comfortable. It was something I'd done often back home when I needed some time to myself, where my brother couldn't reach me, where I could be alone, undisturbed, and just-

"Hey, you're in my spot."

I yelped and grabbed on to my branch to keep from plummeting down fifteen feet.

The boy who had spoken held out a hand to steady me. "Sorry. Did I scare you?"

I was still breathing heavily, not fully recovered. "Oh, no, why would I be scared? People always try to kick me out of _their_ trees in the middle of the night."

"I didn't _kick_ you out," he corrected me. "All I said was 'You're in my spot.' You don't mind sharing, do you?" It was hard to get a good look at him in the dark, but in the dim glow of the moon, I could make out chocolate skin, wide grass-green eyes, and spiky dark purple hair- though that could have been a trick of the light. He looked about my age and was wearing clothes identical to mine except in color, black with red trim.

I exhaled slowly one more time and warily scooted over. My breathing was returning to normal now. "I almost thought you were another monster for a second."

"Hey!" the boy said, pretending to be offended.

I cracked a smile despite myself. "I didn't mean it like that."

"I know," he said. "There aren't any monsters in this part of Wizard City, anyway."

"Yeah, I knew that." I remembered Ambrose mentioning it not ten minutes ago. "I'm just jumpy. I had to fight a couple of draconians earlier."

The boy's eyes grew even wider. "Draconians!? I was wondering what you meant by _another_ monster."

I inclined my head wordlessly.

"And you beat them all by yourself? Two on one?" He looked impressed. "That's awesome."

I shrugged. "I had help from Ambrose. He gave me extra pips and everything. It wasn't that big a deal."

"Draconians are pretty nasty things," said the boy. "Even if you had help, it _is_ a big deal. Nice work."

The corner of my mouth twitched. This boy, at least, seemed okay. "Thanks." I realized then that there was something odd about this picture. "Hey, why are you here?"

He pointed at his robes, grinning. "I'm a necromancer. I'm a night person. The real question is, why are _you_ here?"

"How do you know _I'm_ not a necromancer?" I challenged.

"Your uniform," he said simply. "You're wearing orange and tan, classic balance colors. So I'm guessing you're a balance wizard."

Huh. I didn't even mean to pick the colors of my school. I didn't know the schools _had_ colors.

The boy was still waiting for an answer. "Yeah, I'm a balance wizard," I told him. The words felt unnatural and wrong, yet to a degree, liberating, coming out of my mouth, like a confession of an alcoholic caught red-handed. It would have seemed bizarre that I felt that way to many of my old classmates, many of whom would have given their right arm for a chance at an adventure like this. Me? I had never known just what I wanted- except maybe to have my family back together.

"You didn't tell me why you're here," the boy reminded me. I shrugged again.

"I just like having some time on my own to think," I said at last.

"Ah, now that's more balance-wizard-like. But why at night?"

"Didn't want to sleep. I'm wide awake. Too much stuff on my mind." That had always been a common problem for me, even after (I thought) I had stopped having that dream.

"I see." He tilted his head in acknowledgment. "Yeah, I'm like that too. I used to sneak out a lot. My family doesn't like me being out here alone, though, so I stopped a while ago. I didn't want to worry them."

"Why are you here now, then?" I wondered.

"My first day at Ravenwood is tomorrow- and yours too?" I nodded. "I thought this would calm my nerves."

"And did it?"

"I guess so," he said. "Though you did kind of hijack my favorite tree."

"Okay, okay, sorry," I said, smiling again. "I didn't know it was yours."

"Yeah, well." He pursed his lips, looking like he wasn't sure whether to go on. "My family… they're all theurgists. That means life wizard," he said to my confused face. "It's really weird how that happened, and it's pretty rare. Normally, someone of pure life magic descent will be born a life wizard. But I'm the black sheep of the family. I mean, we all love each other and everything, but… I think some of them are embarrassed of me. Especially the more distant relatives I don't know well. Living on Unicorn Way- which is filled with theurgists- I never felt at home. Not even with my own blood."

I gawked at this obviously very open stranger. He was basically me with a different set of chromosomes. He noticed my stare and gave me a wry look. "So much for life wizards being kind and accepting, huh?"

"Wow," I managed. "I… know how you feel." He glanced at me doubtfully, like he had heard _that_ line all too often. "No, I mean _really_. I look and act nothing like the rest of my family. And I'm really awkward around them. Like, they can clearly tell I'd rather be anywhere else. Most people don't even believe that we're related at first. It's really annoying." I rested my chin in my hands. "I spend most of my time alone in my room, or up in places like these. It's more peaceful."

He was quiet for a few seconds. When he did speak, there was genuine compassion in his voice. "I'm sorry."

We sat for a moment in silence. Finally, I broke the lull in our conversation.

"Hey." He studied me for a moment before prompting me to continue. "Let's be weirdos together."

The boy beamed at me and held out his hand. "I'm Alan."

"I'm Jasmine," I said, and shook it.

"Should we get back home?" he asked me. "If anyone catches us sneaking around, we could get in trouble.

"Sure." I watched as he descended the tree even faster than I could have, then scurried down myself.

"You've got some skills," I complimented him.

"Thanks," Alan replied. "To be fair, I've climbed that tree about two hundred times, so…"

I chuckled as we headed home again. Soon, we had reached the gate entrance to Unicorn Way.

"Oh, hold on," Alan said. He pulled a key with a green leaf symbol engraved on it from his bag. "All the Unicorn Way residents get one of these," he explained. "Most people aren't allowed there, ever since _they_ started showing up. But we couldn't just up and leave, so Ambrose came up with this." I didn't have to ask what he meant by _they._

"But if it's so dangerous, why are you all still living there?" I asked. "Couldn't you get ambushed any second?"

"There are protective charms on the sidewalks, so all I have to do is stay off the road. I'll be fine," Alan assured me. He pushed the key into a hole in a brick wall next to the gate, and it rose by itself. "Um, you don't live here, do you?"

I was about to explain that I had a dorm already, but then thought better of it. He might be suspicious about it, given he didn't yet, which made me think I wasn't supposed to have one until school started. Instead, I just shook my head.

"Okay. I'll see you at orientation, then."

"Bye," I said, waving as I followed my compass to the Ravenwood tunnel. This time, I wasn't on high alert, watching for monsters. Yes, part of it was because I knew they weren't around there. But mostly, it was because I actually felt happy for the first time since I'd arrived here. I had just made my first ever real friend.

* * *

_Guess what, everyone? _The Spiral's Savior _has a wikia site now! Here it is: wiki/Spiral%27s_Savior_Wiki It's really new at this point, so it's pretty empty, but I'll have more on it later. For now, I hope you keep reading this and enjoy it! And thanks for the nice reviews so far!_


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